EXCLUSIVE: LABOR @#$%S UP EVERYTHING. AGAIN.

Joe Hildebrand

–,
Thursday,
March,
21,
2013,(8:05pm)

On the evening of my birthday three years ago the Australian Labor Party pulled the pin on a hand grenade, dropped it down the front of their trousers and blew themselves to smithereens.

Since then they have tried to blame absolutely everyone under the sun for that action, except of course the people who did it.

The decision making and the actions of the short-sighted and small-minded ministers who moved against Kevin Rudd that night were so moronic they almost denote a mental disorder. The Gillard government’s decision-making since has confirmed it.

To recap:

Julia Gillard forced Rudd to dump Labor’s emissions trading scheme, sparking a war with the left and crippling his authority on climate change;

Wayne Swan forced Rudd to adopt his mining tax, sparking a war with the right and crippling his authority on the global financial crisis;

Then when Rudd was caught in the pincer of those two appalling misjudgments they both conspired to decapitate him and take his place.

The predictably naïve inner city set who fancy themselves politically aware because they know the name of the prime minister made much of the fact that under Labor rules and the Westminster system parties decide who their leader is.

In fact, as true insiders have always known, the powerbrokers who facilitated Rudd’s removal used heavily manipulated polling figures to trick gullible MPs and ministers into believing their insane and Kafka-esque narrative about why a Prime Minister sitting on a 52 per cent two-party preferred figure had to go. In fact those in the Rudd camp believe some polling data was out and out faked.

That’s not in the Labor caucus rules and it sure as hell isn’t in the constitution.

The same inner city flakes were delighted because they presumed that just because Gillard was a woman she must be a leftie and a greenie.

In fact her first moves were to stitch up a sweetheart deal with the big three miners, deport asylum seekers to south east Asia and can any action on climate change.

Indeed the one resource giant she and Swan pointedly screwed in the deal was the indigenous crusader Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, the only decent big miner in the country.

But of course the luvvies still adored her because she called Tony Abbott a misogynist.

The Gillard government’s litany of policy, moral and strategic failings since is obvious and well known:

*Embracing the Greens’ deeply unpopular carbon tax—after boycotting her own party’s far more moderate and practical policy—to stop them from… what? Forming government with Tony Abbott?

*The twin diplomatic disasters of trying to offload refugees to East Timor and then Malaysia.

*Swan’s move to have a go at the miners again, starting a class war that put the whole business community offside and yet failing to even get any money out of them.

*Swan’s insistence on running a Budget surplus at all costs and thus starving the cities of major infrastructure and then running the Budget into deficit anyway.

*Crippling its moral legitimacy and community standing by relying on the vote of Craig Thomson and, far worse, making Peter Slipper the Speaker of the Parliament.

*Throwing away the government’s last tactical advantage by naming the election date seven months out only to promptly fall into a poll pit from which it has never clambered out;

*And finally declaring war on the media because it thought it was the press that was making people think bad things about it and that really they were doing a smashing job all along.

To its credit the Gillard government also initiated big policies the country sorely needs. However it has been so atrocious at so many others that there is no way it will be around long enough to implement them.

One at least, the national disability insurance scheme, the Coalition has committed to seeing through and so they ought. Others such as the Gonski school reforms and the dental coverage scheme _ worth a cool $10 billion between them _ will almost certainly never see the light of day in their original form under a Liberal government.

When I started this column I was about to begin this paragraph as follows: However all that has now changed.

For an electrifying few hours this week there was the tantalising prospect that Labor was not hurtling towards certain oblivion and there was a chance, however remote, that it might actually win the next election on the back of a resurgent Kevin Rudd.

It was going to be a soul-turning call to arms that would have warmed all the hearts across the nation that Labor has turned to coal. It would have awakened all the lost true believers and convinced undecided and disillusioned voters that this new Labor deserved a chance.

But thanks to Thursday’s monumentally stupid and self-interested decision now that cannot happen.

Due to the selfishness of a select group of Victorian powerbrokers whose seats are all safe, not only is Labor headed for slaughter in September but there is a very real chance it will suffer complete generational wipeout as MPs across Sydney and Queensland are skittled like tenpins.

No doubt many will see this as a matter of principle or a noble death. It certainly won’t feel like that to the millions of people who were once Labor supporters who rely upon the occasional protection of Labor winning government and actually advancing its agenda. It won’t feel like that to the parents and children waiting for Gonski or the kid with chronic tooth pain whose parents can’t afford to go to the dentist.

I haven’t said much good about the Labor Party over the past three years because there hasn’t been much good to say. For a brief exciting moment this week I thought I’d finally get my chance but instead the party decided to once more pull the pin from the hand grenade and blow itself into dust.

Have Your Say

Joe,
When I first met you (doubt you remember) and started reading your column, you came across as a died in the wool Labor supporter. That is by no means intended as a derogatory term, either. But it seemed to me like you were the kind of person that Labor could never lose as a voter.

It now seems to me as though they’ve lost you, and not to the Greens and not to the DLP. But, sadly, to the coalition.

Now, I’ll vote for the coalition as I have done for a few elections, but it is disappointing to see what the party has done to those that you thought would never turn on it. It’s lost them. It may have lost many of them for good.
Matt

At least the Gold Coast is so Nana and red neck it wouldn’t make a difference if you did vote Labor, Green, T-Party or GOP

Davo replied to Matt
Sat 23 Mar 13 (09:08pm)

Hey Zie, As a Coalition voter I take offence at being called a “red neck” In fact, if in their attempts to gag free speech your Commie mates had got their legislation through I could have had you arrested for offending me.

My God Joe. A “true believer” flagellating in public. I feel sorry for you that your party has lost its way. But I have this big grin on my face right now. I can’t understand Crean’s actions today - they only make senese if he conspired to destroy Krudd once and for all. More tomorrow - I’m all tweeted and commentated out. God bless you Joe. There’s always 2025 when #Gonski gets us NASA scientists.

I have to say Joe I also agree with your sentiments, however voting for Phony Tony is less preferrable than shoving something sensitive in a blender.

Looks like independants for me at moment unless real policies start to emerge. What with a little under 6months to go there should be enough time to absorb and assess what the phony tony led noalition may or may not want to do.

Jon replied to sjb351
Sat 23 Mar 13 (08:51am)

It is good to see people like Noddy throw away a system government many in this world have died to try and implement to a brand. All I can say to you Noddy is “Go Labor”.

Enough replied to sjb351
Sat 23 Mar 13 (09:35am)

Noddy, please get it .....you vote for a party, the party with the most votes becomes the government..the party elects its leader and the leader becomes the Prime Minister........unless you live in Warringah Tony Abbott is not your local member.
“independants” as well have all seen with the current crop are only interested in themselves, and will vote the way they want and like Windsor & Oakeshot in particular not even listen to the wishes of their electorate
Just vote Liberal/National Party and help save this country.

CD replied to sjb351
Sat 23 Mar 13 (10:58am)

@Noddy
Why don’t you let your fingers do some exercise and go to the Liberal website for policies and stop expecting to be spoon fed your info from the media.
Labor laziness at work.

Great column Joe. I have never voted Liberal federally before but I doubt I’ll ever vote Labor again after watching them destroy the joint so comprehensively.

Frances of Melbourne replied to sjb351
Sat 23 Mar 13 (01:44pm)

Sorry Noddy, but I have to put in my 2 bob’s worth.
It is because Independents were put in a position of power, that we are in the current situation. As others point out, we vote for a Party not a personality.

Noddy replied to sjb351
Sat 23 Mar 13 (02:54pm)

@Enough. I don’t have a problem with the Liberals and Nationals. I have voted for them in the past. My fundamental issue is Phony Tony, the lack of policies and hazy feel good statements do not fill me with confidence at all. It is a trust and character issue.

At least where minor parties and independants hold balance of power the major parties are held in check. With two party system any leader of either one is a political animal, any member of the party is expected to show loyalty regardless of personal view - this is why I prefer independents, they can vote with their honest beliefs without toeing a party line.

I am not Labor or Liberal/National. I intend to learn more about Bob Katters party and in doing so gather more info about the other minor parties and independents. Trust me, my vote will only go to something i can believe in, not a slogan.

Just a bit of revisionism here Joe. To address just your first two point:

On the ETS, Rudd was faced with a split committee, two ministers (Gillard and Swan) arguing to delay the scheme, two (Tanner And Wong) arguing for pressing ahead. Rudd, as chair, cast the deciding vote and delayed. Nothing forced here.

On the mining tax, this was driven by Rudd’s office after the henry review. When the PMO were asked about thevstrategy to sell the tax to the public, the answer was ‘don’t worry, Andrew (Charlton) can sell anything!’ And don’t forget, Rudd was preparing a deal to cut Twiggy out of the tax when he was rolled.

@NP
The mining tax was a bad idea from the begining, it is a tax that makes mining in Australia uncompetitive and was only really set up to side step the states mining royalty rights. Effectively a cash grab from another tier of government that failed spectacularly. If they wanted a bigger share of the mining boom then getting the states to collect it is the most logical way, unfortunately you can’t use the word logical in any sense to describe our current government.
The ETS was also a bad idea, voters and business like uncomplicated taxes, games of three card monty and shifting levels of compensation are confusing to the best of us. Ask anyone about how much they pay in carbon tax and almost to a person they won’t know, then ask them if they are better or worse off and they will either not know or say worse off. The scheme itself may be fantastic but nobody knows how it effects them or if it’s actually doing anything’, ask yourself how can virilant uncertainty be positive unless you’re some sort of zealot who believes everything the party says?
Rudd was a bad PM, he was essentially clueless about the long term effects of policy decisions, his dismantling of the policy oversight process demonstrated this. His saving grace was he was replaced by a worse PM, so comparitively speaking he was fantastic.
You are then left with the train wreck of what the infighting has caused. Each time there has been a spill, cabinet ministers resign. Presumably your first pick of ministers are the best, most capable individuals in your party, you then have a spill, people are sacked or resign and you’re onto your second or third pick depending on the allegiance of your second pick. You have another spill and you’re onto your third or fourth pick. This is not a big problem if you have a sizeable majority as you have a large talent pool to choose from. In a minority government split factionally you’re down to a “You’ll do....” descision and is that any sensible way to run a country? Right now you have a government being run by ministers who have around a hundred hours in the job, maybe less, they are second or third choice candidates for the job from a minority party that has been split factionally to further deplete the talent pool, to say they are incapable of doing the job isn’t partisan politics, its a mathmatical certainty.

Another Rudd supporter,Simon Crean,banished to the back bench Joe,for the crime of ,shock horror,not supporting Ms Gillard.

Why ever would you stand when you know you don’t have the numbers FFS - never hear such baloney in all my life. Ludicrous to expect anyone to do such a thing - I just don’t get that comment made by quite a few. Sheer madness - akin to double suicide. In other words, hand a man a rope and ask him to hang himself twice on 2 branches.

GSM replied to Ben
Sat 23 Mar 13 (12:43pm)

Ben, what a stupid and naive comment. Rudd’s backers were the ones who told him he did not have the numbers and not to challenge. They made it very clear on national TV and in the press. What are you guys reading or who are you listening to. Yes, Rudd had his faults but until you read all the facts please don’t open your mouths and make yourselves look idiotic like Crean who has been shooting his mouth off in the last two days. I keep reading the same thing in other blogs but no one ever considers the actual situation the various parties were in. Read Mark Barker’s article “PM’s toughness exposed as a flaw” and Peter Harcher’s article “Winning is not Labor’s priority” in the SMH today and you will have a more balanced view. And by the way the numbers don’t lie; For 27 consecutive Nielsen polls, the LNP were in an election winning lead. This was consistent with Newspoll and Galaxy Poll. You don’t have to be a genius to understand why something had to give.

Good heavens, what more is there left to say, you wouldn’t expect anyone to say anything positive after that!!

There’s been plenty of speculation about what will happen next, speculation about what Kevin Rudd’s next move is, is anybody’s guess.

It’s a spill people, get as angry as you like, but she’s in the driver’s seat and from what I’m hearing people are saving up their anger for Sept 14 when they will have the pleasure and the honour of removing the Leader themselves!

Hcris perhaps when you get your grammar and punctuation correct I may understand your question.

I used to like our Julia, but now I’m not so sure
One shouldn’t get excited about her haute couture
Her new specs are totes chic and cool and nerdy I suppose
But like the Labor party they are really on the nose

Eyebrows the internet all day and mustache you a question
Why is it when I google “Howes” it gives me indigestion?
The same with Feeney, Arbib, Farrell, even when I twitter
And Facelessbook is quite useless - it’s just short and bitter

Now poor old Simon thought he’d try to give the party succour
He was the leader once before and not a nasty fellow
But faceless butchers hate to be reminded of their stench
And Simon quickly got promoted up to the backbench

So Kevin kept his word today whilst others didst obsess
He plays games with other’s minds - I’d hate to play him chess
Kev pops up most anywhere, it really is quite twee
“I’m happy where I am” he says with barely suppressed glee

Hey Joe,this timbo of Sydney is good.That poem has taken a few days of hard work I reckon I reckon.I might have to switch from LIMERICKS,but I don’t think I could do anywhere near as good.

You’ve started something Joe with your Man from Snowy River parody.

Regards timbo

There’s plenty of positives to report on Joe if you looked hard enough!

Does it not matter to you that Labor, with it’s exceptional economic management skills, put a safety net around Australia & protected us ALL from recession with the GFC? How ungrateful! Because it didn’t affect us directly, people have no idea what COULD have happened without this skillful Govt.

Does it not matter to you that we have a AAA rating - the envy of the rest of the world?

Does it not matter that over 400 new Bills have been passed under Labor? More than achieved in Howard’s 3 terms!

Does it not matter to you that so many new jobs have been created.
We have a low of 5.4% unemployment - many of whom in that number are just ‘unemployable’ types, druggies, going surfing etc.
My home loan has dropped to 5.5% - the lowest in 20 years of marriage - I AM grateful, are you?

My husband (self-employed) has plenty of work on - I AM grateful!

Does it not matter to you that Labor is working hard on many policies for the betterment of Australia? Not perfect but what Government is? Things need fine-tuning but that’s politics!

NDIS - the best thing ever but it’s blown out of budget? - so what! did the Harbour Bridge come in on budget? Did the Harbour tunnel? Did Warragamba Dam? Name just one new infrastructure in our history that has not blown budget!

How many times have Labor tried to introduce something that Liberals just say no to because they are playing politics? We suffer!

Look at the borders - is it really Labor’s fault? No - Abbott blocks !
Abbott constantly claimse he will turn back boats - we are not that stupid to think he can physically do that! He has his escape clauses ready (when it’s safe to do so) - can he actually name the ‘safe’ circumstance!

Question Time - what a waste of time this year trying to bring in personal attacks by Abbott & nothing on policy. It’s like watching a soap opera!

Sick of negative reporting - almost every journalist is turning into suffering the SSS Disease = Same Story Sundrome. One story on the repeat against Labor.

One bully knocks the successful person to the ground & the gang mentality sets in, follow & kick to the death for the fun of it.

People won’t vote for Julia because she has red hair or the media painted her in a negative light? OMG!

Who in the main stream media are seriously giving Labor a fair go??????? Has anybody looked into Abbott’s slush fund set up to destroy One Nation? NO - and why not?

Isn’t it time to look seriously at what we all will end up with under Abbott? He will take away and destroy everything Labor has done at a huge cost to us taxpayers by attempting to dismantle carbon & mining tax etc.

But always remember his famous words for his out clause:

“when I made that statement, in the election campaign, I had not the slightest inkling that there would ever be any intention to change this. But obviously when circumstances change, governments do change their opinions, and that is actually the responsible course of action.” Interview with Laurie Oakes, 2005”

Angie, I found out yesterday who Wayne has been listening to & of course we should have guessed, its Cyprus, not Italy or Greece or even Spain at all. That explains how he has been able to fool gullible electors that our Howard inspired total insulation from any run off from the GFC is certainly no reason to avoid using it as the blame while he studiously obeyed his union bosses & took a $60B credit & swiftly turned it int a $260B DEBT - so far!

Angela & Jeff Duggan replied to Angie
Fri 22 Mar 13 (10:09pm)

Reply to Village Idiot - what an appropriate name! and you are??

NO - I run a business with my husband & have nothing to do with Craig Thomson except we are in his Electorate.

Your comment is stupid...hop back into your jester suit and shoo!

Diogenes replied to Angie
Sat 23 Mar 13 (07:23pm)

Angie, you claim to own a business and you think passing 400 laws is GOOD thing ?- ICB !

It wasn’t Tony who dismantled the Border Protection Scheme - that horse had already well & truly bolted when the Malaysian Solution was proposed . In fact I remember him saying just doing offshore processing would not work ... meanwhile 17,000 illegals later (thats just over the last 12 months) ....

As for the GFC - we were never really affected - and China kept us out of it…

Meanwhile the govt borrows 100 million a DAY - assuming you really do run your own business, how long do you think it would last if you went to the bank every day and borrowed even 0.01% of your annual turnover a day - how long before your cashflow is spent just repaying that debt ???

As for the AAA rating that is from the same rating agencies that said derivatitives were also AAA - how safe exactly were they.

Interest rates as low as they are is not a sign of healthy economy.

scribbler replied to Angie
Sun 24 Mar 13 (01:39pm)

Eddie Obeid’s faction..."The Terrigals”.

On the basis of Rudd and friends continuous and covert undermining of the government over 2 1/2 years and his instinct to place his own interests and desire for personal vengence ahead of the successful implementation of the important policies that you identify as critical for equity, fairness and justice for fellow Australians who rely on the ALP to defend them against the brutal excesses of periodic LNP governments, Rudd desrves to be banished (forever). Really, he has had three shots at regaining the leadership and has been so resounding trounced that his credibility is bankrupt. Indeed not only has he damaged the government, the ALP and the people whose quality of life is dependent on the re-election of a Labor government, he now wears the dishonour of ordering his loyal troops over the ramparts to their certain political deaths while he lounged comfortably behind the sandbags protection of his self-preservation. Joe, like Rudd you seem to harbour a deep trauma from which you are unable to move on, it is sad to see such suffering, such hurt. it might help if you focus on the policy issues at the forthcoming election and try to get the best result for the national interest.

Terrence, I feel quite differently about it all. I can’t help feeling that Krudd would have gone through with it but when the union bosses of the alp discovered how close their obedient puppet was to losing they
swiftly leaned Kev heavily against a wall & suggested in typical painters & dockers terms that he stay away & allow the media to assume that he was simply having a dummy spit. Their precious Julia
initially destroyed Australia’s productive IR legislation & was rewarded that time by elbowing Kev out, because he unfortunately had formed the misguided opinion that as PM he actually was in a position to make decisions just as does the Liberal PM. He was certainly reminded this time that the Union actually owns the ALP & sadly the welfare of Australia comes a very poor third!

Even while everyone is talking about what a basket case the Labour Party is - and you’ve summed it up nicely Joe - what good is there to say about the Liberal Party? I’m yet to find a single argument or exciting prospect to suggest this country will be better off when Labour are most likely voted out - and that is flat out depressing.
What can we do but find the best independents we can and vote them in.

They’re not the Labor party. .... and there is a lot of goodness in that alone.

maurie replied to Kel
Fri 22 Mar 13 (09:04pm)

Kel, from the moment of their election success the government has kept up a constant slime & sleaze at a dull screech & even though I know they know it works, I still find it disgusting at the type of people who are hood winked by it. You no doubt will soon be reassured when the alp owners (unions) commence spending many millions on tv ads
as they always do telling the electorate how horrible the liberals are & all paid for by money from the gullible & scared miserable 13% of the workforce still bluffed into union membership.

elhombre replied to Kel
Sat 23 Mar 13 (05:22pm)

Wilful ignorance is really all you sad, hate filled little lefties have left isn’t it? The grownups will be back in power again soon and everyone of you that cheered Conroy and his attacks on a free society on can cry into your meals on wheels for a couple of decades.

Borderer replied to Kel
Tue 26 Mar 13 (01:28pm)

@Kel
“what good is there to say about the Liberal Party?”

You do know they aren’t in government and aren’t running the country?
They did not support the MRRT, a tax that raised $0.00 in it’s first quarter, they thought it was a bad idea and the rights correctly belonged to the states and that it was a deterrant to further investment in iron ore and coal mining.
They did not support the carbon tax, they thought it was too complicated with too many risks in a fragile economy. The fact that it was the same conclusion that Penny Wong had before being asked to toe the party line seems irrelevant.
They do support the NDIS probably the only good idea the ALP have had in the last few years.
They were against the BER as they thought it was a waste of money. Schools now have shiny new sheds that cost more than mansions to build, only they are sans swimming pool, gold fittings etc.
They thought that dismantling the policy oversight process was a bad idea, they were wrong, it was a catastrophic idea, it has allowed more ridiculously stupid short sighted ideas to progress to legislative approval than in any other time that I recall.
They thought the additional stimulus was an unnecessary waste, the RBA rate bump at the time confirmed it.
They thought dismantling the offshore processing was a bad idea. So many deaths, so many arrivals merely confirms it. Yet the PM is still spruking her people swap, you know the one the high court deemed illegal?
They thought giving 10bil to the Greens was a bad idea given they don’t even cost their policies. I suppose burning the money in Martin place would kept the homeless warm but it would have unfortunately contributed to the carbon footprint of the scheme.
They thought banning live cattle exports on the basis of a tv show was a bad idea. They also thought approving a supertrawler to fish in Australian waters was a dumb decision given the devastation it had caused in every other nation prior to its arrival. The fact that they suddenly backflipped on it indicated that they didn’t actually give a rats until public opinion told them to.
They are also against having political officers assigned to various media bodies to assess “public interest”.
I could go on.....
What they haven’t done is come up with massively costly idiotic policies that have far reaching detremental effects to the broader economy and people’s freedoms. Frankly if they come in to power and pretty much do nothing but dismantle the more stupid ALP ideas I think the business community and everyday Australian’s will breathe a monumental sigh of relief.

I like you Joe. You’re not only a seriously funny guy, and generally pretty switched on too. But what you’ve just written reveals a naivety that many who speak in favour of Rudd share. I’m sorry, but Kevin’s only virtue is that he isn’t Julia Gillard.

Until Julia came along, Rudd was destined to replace Whitlam as our worst ever PM. Why? Borrow & spend, borrow & spend. Under Rudd’s watch the ALP blew a $22 billion-plus surplus (purportedly to offset the GFC, but the way they wasted it on crazy over-the-odds spending is inarguable), then allowed Swan to borrow borrow borrow. Rudd certainly talks a good game, but this “economic conservative” revealed he was waaay out of his depth when faced with the reality of actually managing the Australian economy.

There is no way he could win the next election if the ALP had given him the top job again. The LNP would have a field day running ads showing what his “colleagues” (including Crean) had to say about him after the previous leadership tilt. The LNP would also ask “How long will the ALP keep Kevin as PM if he wins again?” Given the transparent lack of loyalty within the modern ALP this question alone would sink his election campaign, even before Joe Hockey started on about the $300 billion debt these economic illiterates have run up.

I won’t even bother getting into all the stories about Kevin’s compulsive-obsessive management style & well-known penchant for treating staff like dirt. I’m sorry Joe, but as I said at the start, his only virtue is that he’s not Gillard. One thing we certainly don’t need is a dweeb with a messiah complex back in The Lodge.

How many sleeps before we can be cleansed on this toxic Labor rubbish that divides the community via Swann’s class warfare and Julia’s (unsubstantiated) claims of misogyny. And that’s apart from all the taxpayer funded waste.

BTW Julia - just because a man treats you as a equal when debating does not make him a misogynist.

BTW Julia - just because a man treats you as a equal when debating does not make him a misogynist.

Sorry, but the rules have changed again. Femmos now want to be treated as delicate petals.

Someone In these comments expressed surprise at Joe because he appeared to be a leftie turncoat. When, Richo, dellabosca, hawker, Latham, and lots more “old school ALP” are bemoaning the current state, then what hope have we… When the captain doesn’t listen to her own term, she is doomed.

Forget about Joe, it’s the cut and thrust of politics which makes this so exciting. Julia may not like it, which is beside the point, we may not like HER, but hasn’t she got some balls, which people find unpalatable and however much I hate to say it, I can’t help but agree with Anne Summers who writes today “that the judgement of history will be very different”.

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